“God in Quiet Mode” Exodus 1:8-2:10
Many centuries ago, Isaiah declared,
1."Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior" (Isaiah 45:15).
• Since then, many people in every generation have had this thought. God does not exists there is no God, but I assure you there is a God.
• The Bible, however, never goes there; in fact, it regards those who say there's no God as "fools" (see Psalm 14:1; 53:1). The fool hath said in his heart , There is no God . Psalm 53 says the very same thing.
• It is true god does seems present less (Godisnowhere) at times. Job puts it as the following Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not. " he seems to just pass me and I don't perceive him.
• Luke declare Gods presence is really not far from any Luke writes That they should seek the Lord , if haply they might feel after him , and find him , though he be not very far from any of us."
2. Truly God exists but at times he is in quite mode.
• In today's text God was in quiet mode and had been for 400 years . At the end Genesis Jacobs 12 sons were welcomed in Egypt and one Joseph was Pharaoh right hand man.
• Jacobs descendants had grown numerous
• Centuries past Pharaohs were in fear of rebellion
• The recent Pharaoh felt no obligation to honor hospitality to the Hebrew people. The bible says " they filled the land "
• The pharaoh concerned the Hebrews might side with Egypt's enemies, or they might escape from Egypt
• He enslaves them, putting them to work on massive government building projects.
• Nothing from God no talk no communication seemingly
3. Secretly, undercover, quiet mode, God is at work.
• God is at work in the midwives they feared God and that God gave them families,
• God is at work in multiplying of the Hebrew people. Remember God told Adam and Eve to bear children increase and multiply. Hebrews multiplied rapidly
• God is working in Quiet Mode with Shiprah and Puah they however, "fear God" more than they fear Pharaoh, and they ignore his directive. They are questioned and explain that the women give birth before they get there. The bible says , "because the midwives feared God, he gave them families" of their own.
• Remember Pharaoh told the Egyptian to find all male children and drown them in the Nile. Moses is placed in a basket and sent down what river? The Nile. God in quiet mode.
• Pharaohs very own daughter finds Moses and desires to raise him as her own. God in quiet mode she is supposed to drown him.
• Moses sister requests to Pharaohs daughter that Moses real mother be employed to raise the Hebrew boy. Moses mother is employed as a wet nurse. She raises her own son and gets paid to dos so. God in Quiet Mode.
4. In the text God worked in quiet mode. Is it possible that when we ask where is God? He is working in quiet mode
• When God works in Quiet Mode we need to continue to have faith
• When God is in quiet mode it takes practice and even imagination to see the activity of God.
• When there is a roar that leads to a riot God is in quiet mode calming slowly the hearts involved. The shooting of the young man by a policeman in Missouri.
• When God is in quiet mode Faith requires us to trust God more than we trust the world.
• When drugs and alcoholism is overtaking our society God is working in quiet mode
• When it seems as though society is totally forgotten God listen for the still small voice
• Today God maybe working in quiet mode calling us to ministries unknown
"Let anyone with ears to hear listen!" (Mark 4:9).
• Faith believes that God is not only active in the most ordinary of circumstances as well as troubled ones Is God already sowing the seeds of recovery and redemption?
• Is God staying behind the scenes but working through the lives of people, whom we don't expect to be part of the solution, to, in fact, be part of the solution?
• This old story from Exodus tells us the answer to those questions is "Yes."
